Peter Weiss

ASLE 05

Webqeust II

Introduction: You've just started high school and your parents are on your case to do well. You see a lot of your friends cutting classes and now you just can't seem to understand why you should have to go. After all, if they can cut classes, why can't you?

But your English teacher has required you to read the story The Lesson, and you've checked it out. You recognize a bit of Sylvia and her friends in you and your friends, and you are starting to think that maybe there is something to this education stuff. In conjunction with the members of your English class, a committee is being formed to study the dollar and cents value of education. You have been selected to be a member of that committee. Your committee will do the study and then develop a policy to help prevent students from falling prey to the idea that education has no value.

Task: Your task is to read and study the story The Lesson and apply the lesson Sylvia learns to the topic at hand. Then, you will do research into the average salaries earned by people who have completed their education and those who have not. The groups in question are: high school graduates and non high school graduates, college graduates and people with advanced degrees. Using your research, you will calculate in dollars and cents the difference in expected income amongst the groups, and based upon your results, you

will be responsible for creating a policy to be implemented in your school to advance the value of education and dissuade students from cutting classes. In order to complete this web quest, you must follow the Public Policy Analyst steps found at the TIPS web site. Public Policy Analyst. You must also complete the following:

A. Research to substantiate the public issue

B. Applicable Public Policy Analyst worksheets

C. A group summary of research

D. A collaborative Public policy statement

E. A collaborative Public policy solution statement

Process:

1. You will be assigned to a partner.

2. Each team will research an assigned group (from those above), and will complete research into the salary figures for that group. Research will be done on the internet or through library sources, using recommended sites as listed.

3. As one unit, the entire class will complete the Public Policy Analyst worksheets:

a. Defining the problem Social Problem—worksheet 1

b. Gather evidence of the problem—worksheet 2

c. Identify the causes of the problem—worksheet 3

d. Identify and evaluate the existing public policies—worksheet 4

e. Develop your own public policy alternatives—worksheet 5

f. Select the best public policy solution—worksheet 6

4. Each team will submit its research to the class.

5. As one unit, the class will correlate the data and make a determination of the results.

6. As one unit, the class will compose a public policy statement and a public policy solutions statement to be packaged with the research.

Summary:

1. Define and describe the problem

2. Gather evidence for this problem

3. Identify causes for this problem

4. Describe and evaluate the existing policy for this problem.

5. Develop solutions/policies for the problems for this existing policy

6. Select the best policy for this problem

Resources:

http://www.ws.edu/Sife/kprojects/education.htm

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.nr0.htm

http://www.salary.com/salary/layoutscripts/sall_display.asp

http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-us.html

http://www.lib.csus.edu/guides/sturmt/salaries.htm#sta

http://www.bls.gov

http://www.casa-pw.org/CAEA.html

http://www.sbceo.org/cirone/bc-column/2-25-00.html

http://www.themint.org/earning/careers.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A22401-2002Jul17?language=printer

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columnym/ym479.html

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/digest2001/ch5.asp

Evaluation Criteria:

In-Depth Completion of Public Policy Analyst Worksheets

a. full, substantial answers

b. thoughtful analysis

c. individuality of ideas

Detailed research to substantiate social problem

a. bibliographic data

b. hyperlinks

Public Policy Paper

a. Clarity of Issue and Purpose

b. Completeness

c. Data Substantiation

d. Organization

e. Technical English

f. Presentation

Participation in Group Work

a. participation in editing and summary building

b. participation in compiling group summaries

c. participation in preparation of oral report

d. presentation of group oral report

Evaluation Scale

4 Thorough, complete, detailed and substantial work; proficient in technical English; organized, focused and clear

3 Complete, basically thorough and substantial work; somewhat proficient in technical English (some errors); mostly organized, focused and clear

2 Perfunctory work, not complete, not detailed; shows beginning of proficiency in technical English; partially focused and clear

1 Incomplete work, no substantial data, little research effort, little group participation

4 90-100

3 80-90

2 70-80

1 60 or below

Conclusion: Having completed this project, you will have begun to understand the economic value of education. You will have begun developing a sense of the need to complete your education and attend school as a responsible student. Furthermore, you will have begun to create public policy leading to solutions to encourage and promote education as a valuable means to a successful life.

Standards: In doing this project students have met the following New York State Learning Standards:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS

STANDARD 1 – LANGUAGE FOR INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING

1. LISTENING AND READING

Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written and electronic sources.

2. SPEAKING AND WRITING

Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one’s own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting the information clearly, concisely, and comprehensibly.

E1 – READING

E1c. – read and comprehend information material.

E2 – WRITING

E2a. - produce a report of information.

E3 – SPEAKING , LISTENING AND VIEWING

E3b. – participate in one to one conferences with a teacher.

E3c. – participate and deliver an individual presentation.

E4 – CONVENTIONS, GRAMMAR, AND USAGE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

E4a. – independently and habitually demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work.

E4b. – analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectivness.

Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Standard 2: Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

STANDARD – 5 CIVICS, CITIZENSHIP, AND GOVERNMENT

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing… the basic civic values of American constitution, democracy, and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.